1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electronic games and, more specifically, to a system for administering electronic instant win on-line games.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Instant win games, such as those sponsored by state lotteries, often come in the form of "scratch-and-play" games, in which an instant win game ticket is sold to a user and the user removes a removable cover from a play area to indicate whether or not the ticket is a "winner."
One type of instant win game ticket is an on-line instant win game, in which the user fills out a playslip so as to indicate a selection of numbers. The playslip is read via a scanner at the point of sale and a game ticket, including information as to whether or not the user won a prize, is printed and delivered to the user. The game ticket printing usually occurs shortly after the playslip is scanned and is usually part of the same transaction.
Because the game ticket includes information as to whether the game ticket is a "winner," dishonest clerks sometimes attempt to "palm" a winning game ticket and give the user a substitute game ticket that is not a winner. Although instant win games may use security systems, (e.g., security cameras aimed at the clerks) such systems are not completely reliable and the user (who has the incentive to ensure that he receives the proper ticket) is not provided with a mechanism to verify the correspondence of the game ticket to the playslip.